So not chemistry for all the players, just Sid..sure, that makes sense...not.

Crosby ended up playing just fine with Iginla and Staal, why not reunite them if chemistry is of the issue??
Let's stop pretending like Kunitz is the awesome winger that Crosby absolutely needs. You're making it seem like the best player in the world has a hard time playing with other stars. He'll be just fine. If it's a PF presence you want on his line that will crash the net and battle the corners, then I'd pick Lucic instead of Kunitz.

Did you watched the 2010 Olympics? The first few games point directly to the opposite of what you just said.

That issue was real, its not a if. They had to ask Sid himself who he wanted because they were out of ideas/options. They said few months ago they wanna avoid that situation.

Tough start of the tournament, for whatever reasons, meant Canada had a tougher road to the Final. Yes they won. But why not try to find ways to get to a faster start? Why take the chances?

Of course they won Gold so all must have gone well after all? No changes are needed. Might as well bring back Lu as starter and Brodeur back at this rate.

I'm convinced he will. How could they possibly argue not picking the Norris winner, who also happens to be leading the NHL in pts again (tied)??..
They made a mistake skipping on young players before for thinking they're not ready and too much of a risk, I doubt they'll do the same with PK.

I'm going to play a little "devil's advocate" here:

1 - keep in mind that Team Canada also left Stamkos off the roster in 2010 to bring in some more experienced guys and won gold.

2 - In that same vein...5 defenseman on that 2010 team are still in the NHL and playing at a high level. Weber, Doughty and Keith are all locks, whereas Seabrook and Boyle are less certain. Assuming Pietrangelo is also a lock, and that Team Canada management keeps Seabrook under the guise of their "instant chemistry" thought process, there really isn't alot of empty space on that roster. That is also without discussing the whole LD/RD conundrum.

3 - While Boyle is getting older, he has played at a high level for a good team for a while now, and could assume a veteran role akin to Nieds and Pronger on that 2010 team. I wouldn't be surprised if Team Canada went with the vets from 2010 over more unproven upside guys like Subban, Duchene, Hall, etc. PK has proven that he has the talent to be among the game's elite, but its still fairly hard to get a read on his play from game to game and i have no doubt team canada would be very nervous about that.

4 - TC might also be concerned that PK will have trouble adjusting to a "lesser role" where he is asked to play a simlified, low minutes/low-risk game on the third pairing. This sort of sentiment get's echoed all the time about finding guys who are capable of accepting lesser roles they are used to on their own teams. Given the press PK has generated over the past few years about being a "larger than life" personality, its possible TC might view him as the type of player that would rebel against being put in a spot like that. The obvious rebuttal here, however, is to point to PK's progression with the WJC team, where he started as a 7th Dman and worked his way up to tournament all-star, Canada winning gold in all three years he was on the team.

5 - Team Canada, and most coaches/gms in hockey today are overly conservative, afraid of change/risk, and are generally interested in playing a style of hockey that minimizes risk. PK doesn't always play that style, and i think its pretty obvious in how Therrien has been using him that, despite the obviousness of his talent and tenacity, PK might not necessarily be a "coach's player".

With all of the above said...i think it's all BS and that Team Canada without PK Subban in its arsenal of weapons would be a worse team than with him. Being allowed to bring 8 dmen is EXACTLY why you would take a chance on someone like PK. Team Canada has a solid enough foundation in its D corps that it can and should be taking a chance on a talent like Subban. Bringing both Letang and Boyle would be a waste of a roster spot as both bring redundant qualities and are quite frankly, less effective than Subban at bringing offense from the D position.

Weber-Doughty
Keith-Seabrook
Pietrangelo-Boyle
Subban-Vlasic

Good blend of vets and youth. Good blend of offense and defense. Good mix of instant chemistry and all-world talent. I would also venture a guess that, if Subban makes the team as a 7th or 8th dman...he would play his way into the top 4 by the end of the tournament. Subban has been a big game player at both the World Juniors and the World Championships, as well as for the Habs in the playoffs. I have no doubt he would play his heart out for team canada in sochi either.

This is just so ****ing stupid. Why is Letang safer? Why is Boyle ahead of Subban when Subban is just better? How Subban isn't a lock as a Top 4 for that team is just mind boggling. If any other d-man won the Norris, he'd be a lock on this team, yet not PK Subban.

**** Hockey Canada

Letang is debatable but if Team Canada thinks Dan Boyle is ahead of PK then you gotta seriously question that brain trust

So he has a bad attitude problem because he's demonstratively passionate?

I've seen Milan Lucic do the same thing after a big fight or hit, and people LOVE that and point to how passionate he is

Again, Subban's only problem is that he's a great player, with a different personality in a sport that prefers it's players to be uniform in their blandness

Again, you can accuse me of playing the race card, that's fine...but I do think that for a lot of people, they have trouble accepting a black superstar in the NHL (please don't bring up Iggy or Fuhr)...which btw, does NOT make one racist for thinking this way...

It's the same way the NBA had trouble with Steve Nash being the MVP a few years ago...

In reference to the Neil incident yes in my opinion his passion there was demonstrative, although unintentional he showed up his teamates. Professionals don't need to be rah rah'd by a teamate on the ice, his hit alone was enough to say what he was thinking. Not to mention later on in the series while changing he's screaming at Pacioretty for an errant ill advised pass. Again professionals never show up their teamates on the ice, keep it behind closed doors.

And I for one am not accusing you of playing the race card, I in fact agree with you its played its part.

Did you watched the 2010 Olympics? The first few games point directly to the opposite of what you just said.

That issue was real, its not a if. They had to ask Sid himself who he wanted because they were out of ideas/options. They said few months ago they wanna avoid that situation.

Tough start of the tournament, for whatever reasons, meant Canada had a tougher road to the Final. Yes they won. But why not try to find ways to get to a faster start? Why take the chances?

Of course they won Gold so all must have gone well after all? No changes are needed. Might as well bring back Lu as starter and Brodeur back at this rate.

We didn't have some very special young talent last time around. They actually skipped on Stamkos and picked freaking Morrow. Their selection was bad.
This year with guys like Duchene, Stamkos, Tavares, Couture, they don't need to be dumb again.

Somehow, they are preparing Habs fans to not expect PK in this adventure and as far as I'm concerned, they succeeded. PK won't be there. Whether it's because he's a defensive liability (BS) or because the righty/lefty ratio, he won't make it. So Team Canada piss on people ears so that we'd accept that the Norris trophy winner won't make it.

Doesn't help that Therrien acts the way he does with him, not using him on the PK, not using him in the last minutes of game.....but it is what it is. I still wish Canada wins it all.......but will gladly bash them hard if one of those defensive ROCKS happen to suck of if they have some problems with their PP's.

Just thought people would like to know that TSN had another discussion tonight about the projected Team Canada team at the olympics, and according to Dreger, Subban is too high risk of a player for the team, and that he's behind Dan Boyle and Kris Letang on the depth chart. If anyone wants to check out the video its on the TSN homepage.

As a Sharks fan, I can say with 100% certainty that Boyle WILL NOT be there. He's not even our #1 d-man. Vlasic is. Vlasic has an outside shot at the team, but Subban is all but a lock imo.

They snubbed Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier, instead put on guys like Mike Richards/Morrow/Begeron/Toews (at the time, not as good as they are now).

"Instead they put on a player who ended up the tournament MVP and later that year captained his team to a cup and Conn Smythe trophy"... not as good as they are now?

Also, I would argue that Richards and Morrow were far better players back then. Bergeron was undoubtedly a good choice then and will be a great choice now. If you want to talk about players being snubbed, swap MSL in for someone like Carter.

Subban's extensive experience on Olympic-sized ice has been brought up, right? He practiced and played every single home game in Belleville on Olympic sized ice. How Doughty, Keith and Pietrangelo are considered before Subban is crazy, not even mentioning Boyle and Letang.

Subban ALWAYS takes the high road and never even defends himself in the face of false accusations...

He always keeps it classy...but yet, people will try to convince you that he's such a bad character

What a shame

I've learned that USUALLY, people have no clue what they're talking about. They hear an "influential" opinion and parrot it like it's gospel. They're often full of ****. PK has a great attitude and always has. He's my favourite player, mainly because of his enthusiasm and attitude - his phenomenal play is just the cherry on top.

I'm convinced he will. How could they possibly argue not picking the Norris winner, who also happens to be leading the NHL in pts again (tied)??..
They made a mistake skipping on young players before for thinking they're not ready and too much of a risk, I doubt they'll do the same with PK.

Have you not seen how selections have been made in the past? Steve Yzerman was left off of team Canada after scoring 155 points, because he was no Dirk Graham defensively. Guys like Shayne Corson made it over him. Hockey Canada is an old boys club. There was no rationale then, just like there was no rationale to keep Sidney Crosby, Staal, Spezza and money others off the squad.

They'll use a line like, we are strong with RHD and needed to solidify the LHD bla bla bla. I don't see him making it unless he goes on a tear.